There are many peripherals out there to serve the pro gaming market. Some are gimmicky, and some are useful, but they all have one purpose; to be bought and used by pro gamers and those that would like to be. Saitek has been known for many of the better peripherals out there like the Saitek Eclipse II and the recently reviewed Cyborg 5.1 Surround Sound Gaming Headset. Their Cyborg line is definitely producing some interesting products that require a second look.
Of the Cyborg line, we are taking a look at the Cyborg Command Unit. This is a keypad, with a dedicated set of keys targeting the number and pattern used most frequently in first person shooters. It’s not unlike the Wolfking Warrior Xxtreme we reviewed a while back, but much smaller with fewer keys.
Saitek also notes that this can be used with real-time strategy games, and there are some features that lean towards that. Overall the unit has the keys you would look for in an FPS, with the WASD cluster highlighted and the most frequently used keys around that cluster included. However in true Saitek fashion, each and every key is customizable and can be configured exactly the way you need it. Here’s a quick rundown of the other features found in the Cyborg Command Unit. The full scope of product information can be found on the product home page.
- Instantly switch between 3 modes for First Person Shooter, Strategy and Role-Playing games
- Backlit ergonomic keypad with laser-etched keys for total visibility in any lighting environment
- 4-way analog hat switch
- 21 buttons including space, shift function and 3 mode states for up to 144 programmable commands
- Adjustable thumb control area with 2 way tilt mechanism, slides forwards and backwards
As for pricing, the Saitek Cyborg Command Unit can be had on the street for as little as $35 USD. This price is on par with many similar game pads. A quick browse through the Futurelooks Price Engine will show that as long as you aren’t looking for super advanced features, a customizable gamepad such as this is in the $30 – $35 USD range. So this pad must have something to differentiate it from the rest, right?. Well we’re going to find out.
Also in the Box
Included with the Cyborg Command Unit is a small package of paper work, and a CD. The paperwork includes a brochure for other Saitek products, and a multilingual manual. The CD is the really interesting part, as it includes the drivers and configuration software for the Cyborg Command Unit. It also includes a much more in depth manual in PDF. The game pad is plug n’ play, and will work just by connecting it to your system. However the CD offers much more; the software included allows you a great degree of customization. There will of course be more on this later.
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